1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a stow to floor seat assembly for an automotive vehicle having a cantilevered seat cushion.
2. Description of the Related Art
Seat assemblies for automotive vehicles commonly including one or more rows of rear seat assemblies including a seat cushion and a seat back coupled to the seat cushion. It is often desirable to pivot or fold both the seat cushion and seat back downwardly and against the floor of the vehicle to a fold flat position providing a cargo load floor in the vehicle. Typically, the seat cushion is pivotally coupled to the floor of the vehicle by seat risers for pivotal movement between a generally horizontal seating position and a forwardly folded and upright position. Further, the seat back is commonly pivotal between a generally upright seating position and a forwardly folded flat position adjacent the upright seat cushion.
It is also commonly known to have the entire seat assembly fold flat against the floor of the vehicle. Fold flat means to have the seat cushion moveable between the seating position and a stowed position lying adjacent the floor of the vehicle and to have the seat back moveable between the upright seating position and a forwardly folded flat position overlying the seat cushion in the stowed position. However, multiple or otherwise complex latching mechanisms are typically used for releasably locking the seat cushion and seat back in the respective seating positions. An example of such a seat assembly is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,793,649, which issued to Yamano et al. on Dec. 27, 1988.
It remains desirable to provide a fold flat seat assembly moveable and selectively lockable between the seating position and the stowed position without the use of multiple or complex latching mechanisms.